Colorado Avalance Trade Kyle Cumiskey To Anaheim Ducks

The Colorado Avalanche had sent defenseman Kyle Cumiskey to Lake Erie last week and then placed him on waivers on Friday. One day later, the Avalanche traded Cumiskey to the Anaheim Ducks during the home opener against the Detroit Red Wings.

Cumiskey had played off and on with the Avalanche since the 2006-07 season, seeing his most extensive action in 2009-10. He recorded 20 points in 61 games. He played in just 18 games last season due to a concussion.

In return, the Avalanche received defenseman Jake Newton and a conditional draft pick. He will take Cumiskey's spot in Lake Erie. Newton is likely buried behind others on the depth chart in order to make it to the NHL. Stefan Elliott is the best possible candidate to receive the call before any other defenseman Colorado has waiting in the pipeline.

For more, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey, and visit SB Nation NHL for more league coverage.

Red Wings Vs. Avalanche Final Score: Detroit Picks Up 3-0 Shutout Over Colorado

On the night they retired Peter Forsberg's jersey, the Colorado Avalanche failed to follow that up with a victory over the Detroit Red Wings. In fact, the Avs failed to register a goal in the game, losing 3-0.

The Avs and the Wings skated to a scoreless tie after the first period of play and nearly went through the second that way as well, However, with 2:20 left to play in the period, Johan Franzen snapped off a 43-footer to the back of Semyon Varlamov's net. Jiri Hudler received an assist on the play. In the third period, the Wings added to their lead with goals by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, the latter's an empty-netter.

Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog looked sharp in his NHL debut, though, like the rest of the team, he didn't record a point. He led the team with five shots on net. Peter Mueller, back from concussion symptoms, put three pucks on net. Goalie Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves on 38 attempts and was named the third start of the game.

Red Wings goalie Ty Conklin made 29 stops for the shutout, but he did experience a scary moment late in the third period. One of his teammates accidentally caught his stick inside his goalie mask and hurt his eye. After a look over from the trainers, Conklin completed the game.

The Avalanche head east for an 11:00 a.m. MT game at the TD Garden with the Boston Bruins.

For more on this game, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey and our Red Wings blog Winging It In Motown.

Avalanche Vs. Red Wings: Puck Drops On A New Season

The Colorado Avalanche begin a new season against the archrivals from Michigan, the Detroit Red Wings.

This will be a special opener at Pepsi Center, as Colorado will retire the jersey of all-time great Peter Forsberg in a ceremony before the game. Former Avalanche players Wade Belak, Karlis Skrastins, and Ruslan Salei will also be honored before the game.

This will be the first game for rookie Gabriel Landeskog, the second overall selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft back in June. Landeskog will likely play left wing on Ryan O'Reilly's third line and see some time on the power play unit. Newcomers Semyon Varlamov and Jan Hejda will also make their first starts in Avalanche jerseys after being acquired this offseason to revamp a very poor defensive unit last season.

Peter Mueller will also make his return to the ice for the first time in over a year. The talented winger missed the entire 2010-2011 season after suffering a concussion in the last preseason game that year. He will play alongside Matt Duchene and veteran Milan Hejduk.

The Detroit Red Wings opened their season on Friday night, handily defeating the Ottawa Senators by a 5-3 margin. The game was not that close, as Detroit put five goals past former Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson in the first two periods before a late surge by Ottawa made the score appear closer than the game actually was.

The pre-game ceremonies begin at 5:45 p.m. MDT. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. MDT.

Avalanche Schedule 2011: The Rivalry Is Dead! Long Live The Rivalry!

With Peter Forsberg's retirement, the torch has been passed to a new generation of Avalanche players.